Healthy Potato Salad with Dijon Vinaigrette

This healthy potato salad with dijon vinaigrette is made with Yukon gold potatoes, hard boiled eggs and crisp celery tossed in a light Dijon vinaigrette.

A fresh and healthy take on the classic summer side dish!

How to make the best healthy potato salad

Ingredients

• Eggs. I absolutely have to have hard boiled eggs in my potato salad.
  • And I always make more than I think I’ll want because I really like to load the salad up with eggs.
  • But you are welcome to add as many or as few as you like!
• Potatoes. I like to use Yukon gold or even baby reds, and I leave the skins on.
  • It adds texture, a rustic ambience and removes a prep step – no peeling!
  • You could use russets, but I suggest peeling those.
• Olive Oil. Good ol’ extra virgin.
  • Because the dressing is one of the stars of the show, I suggest grabbing a higher quality bottle.
  • It doesn’t have to be outrageously expensive – I’m a fan of California Olive Ranch which is moderately priced yet great quality.
• Dijon Mustard. This is a staple ingredient in so many of my recipes, so I always have it on hand.
  • Use whatever brand you love!
• Vinegar. I’m a fan of white wine for this recipe, but if you have champagne or distilled, that’ll work too.
• Honey. You could also use granulated sugar, we just need some sort of sweetness to balance out the acidity of the Dijon and vinegar.
• Celery. The celery will add crunch – don’t skip it! We love texture.
• Herbs. Any kind you like – parsley, chives, chervil, tarragon, dill. Or a mixture.
  • This will add freshness and so. much. flavor.

Equipment

• A medium saucepan to boil eggs.
• A bowl filled with ice water.
• A cutting board and a knife for the produce and eggs.
• A pot to boil potatoes.
• A large glass bowl with a lid to make and store the salad dressing and the salad.
• A whisk to make the salad dressing.
• Measuring cups and spoons unless you want to eyeball it.
• A large spoon to mix and serve the salad.
• Bowls and spoons for serving.

Step-by-Step Instructions

• The first step is to hard boil the eggs. You can do this so many different ways – on the stove, in an egg cooker, in the Instant Pot, some people even make them in the slow cooker and oven!
  • I included instructions for making hard-boiled eggs on the stove top, just to keep things simple.
  • I start by bringing a saucepan of water to a boil, then dropping the eggs in, one at a time, using a slotted spoon, being careful not to crack them.
  • Once they’re all in the bath, reduce the heat just a little bit so the water doesn’t boil over, then let them cook 11-12 minutes.
  • Once the timer goes off, drain the pot and transfer the eggs to a bowl of ice water.
  • Once the ice has melted, they should be cooled off and are ready to peel and chop! You can always do this step ahead of time, if you wish!
• Next, you’ll cook the potatoes. I do this while the eggs are cooking.
  • Bring a pot of water to a boil.
  • Chop the potatoes into bite-sized pieces (skins on!), then drop them into the boiling water.
  • Add salt to the water if you want your potato salad to have more flavor, just sayin’. Let them cook until just fork tender.
  • You don’t want them to overcook or they’ll become mush once cooled and tossed with the dressing.
  • Drain the water off and rinse them with cold water.
• In a large glass mixing bowl, make the salad dressing.
  • Whisk together the olive oil, Dijon mustard, white wine vinegar, honey or sugar, salt and black pepper. Taste and adjust the seasoning, if necessary.
  • You may need more salt later when the salad is ready to serve.
  • No, you do not need mayo to make a fabulous potato salad, but if you insist, you can add a few tablespoons to make this dressing even creamier.
• To the bowl with the dressing, add the chopped hard-boiled eggs, potatoes, celery and herbs.
  • Toss it all together, put the lid on top and let the salad cool in the refrigerator for at least an hour.
  • Taste the salad and add more salt if it needs it.
• Serve with more fresh herbs on top and some freshly cracked black pepper. YUM!

Prep and Storage Tips

• Once the salad is ready, store it in the fridge at least 60 minutes before serving for the best flavor.
  • It tastes so much better chilled.
• You can make the salad up to 1 day in advance and store it up to 3 days in an airtight container in the refrigerator.
• You can make the hard-boiled eggs and potatoes ahead of time, let them chill, then mix it all together and refrigerate at least 1 hour before you’re ready to serve it.

Recipe Tips and Tricks

• I use baby Yukon gold potatoes because I absolutely love their texture, and I love their bright yellow hue.
  • They’re absolutely dynamite in a salad like this one.
• I like to chop the eggs and baby potatoes into large pieces because it gives the potato salad a more grown-up, sophisticated look (can potato salad be sophisticated?) which makes me happy.
  • I love pretty food.
• The dressing is so very simple and contains ingredients that almost all of us have on hand.
  • You can use it for so many other recipes, too, as it’s a deliciously balanced vinaigrette that lends itself well to most salads.
  • You honestly will not be sad about the no-mayo thing. And that’s coming from a mayo lover.
• And last, but not least, don’t be shy with the fresh herbs.
  • Give them a rough chop and throw them on top of the healthy potato salad with Dijon vinaigrette for that freshy fresh.
  • And to add some pretty green color to the dish.

Other Summer Salad Recipes

• Strawberry Cucumber Salad
• Broccoli Salad with Sweet Lemon Dressing
• Green Bean Potato Salad
• Spinach, Goat Cheese & Walnut Salad with Raspberry Vinaigrette
• Caprese Pesto Pasta Salad
• Berry Chicken Salad with Honey Balsamic Vinaigrette

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